Buffalo Blue Tots

You know that little local drive-thru only burger and tots joint that you find yourself craving on a Monday… only to remember that this little gem is only open on every 3rd Thursday of every other month?! Those crispy, perfect tots can now be yours anytime– at home! BUT WAIT! We can’t just do the regular old tots. We’re gonna bump it up a notch with some delicious buffalo blue {bleu cheese} tots!

When I decided that I wanted to make homemade tots, I really didn’t think it would be all that hard. Shred some potatoes, mold and fry them. I’ve fried everything within my arms reach in the past. How hard could it be, right? Well… to make really good tots, you know– like the ones that have small little crispy pieces inside of the glorious golden noms, there are a few things that you will need to know.

You need those little pieces inside the tots to each be crispy and alone. Single and sassy, if you will. To do this, we will simply chop up some potatoes, fry them and then pulse them until they are in smaller bits. Combined with a bit of starch to keep all of those pieces crispy, you end up with perfect tots! Overall, they are pretty easy when you employ the correct technique.

Like I said earlier– we aren’t going to just make regular tots. Because, well, why not add a little BAM! to them, right? Buffalo sauce is one of the easiest sauces to make. Let’s be honest… It’s a weekend. Who wants to work harder than they really have to? Exactly what I thought. A bit of Frank’s Red Hot (HAVE to use it. Generic just isn’t the same!) and some good ol’ butta and you’re set. We’ll mix in some blue cheese with the pulsed potato pieces because, well, I have always been told to make sure are get enough dairy. Builds strong bones… or something.

These are a perfect snack for a party, House of Cards marathon (soooo good!), breakfast… you get my drift. I ended up freezing half of the tots that I made by frying them for only a minute to set the shape and then placing them on a sheet pan in the freezer for an hour or two. You can then toss them in a bag to pull out on a lazy, rainy day.

What other tot variations can you think of for us to try out? Comment below!